


The Talk

by That_Marsh_Fellow



Series: Palpatine x Obi-Wan: Arranged marriage AU [14]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Angst, Drama, Established Relationship, Implied obisheev, M/M, Mace needs to hug Eeth, Macekoth-centered, OOC, Post-Episode: s02e09 Grievous Intrigue, Talking, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:28:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27942269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/That_Marsh_Fellow/pseuds/That_Marsh_Fellow
Summary: Rescued from the Saleucami system, Eeth Koth is now in the Medical Corps of the Temple, and the healers' forecasts don't sound very optimistic. Meanwhile, a not so easy talk happens between master Windu and grand master Yoda.
Relationships: Mace Windu/Eeth Koth
Series: Palpatine x Obi-Wan: Arranged marriage AU [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1927522
Comments: 9
Kudos: 12





	The Talk

**Author's Note:**

> Well, no obisheev here apart from a brief mention, and I must say that in advance. But this work is important to the overall plot of the AU. Because yes, the big events are coming up, and macekoth will be playing a significal part in them.

The Medical Corps of the Jedi Temple was unusually empty, even though the war was already raging across the Galaxy for more than a standard year. But perhaps the reason was that over this past year the Jedi had adapted to their new ways of life, both as generals and commanders and in other areas too. And the Circle of Jedi Healers was also not left out: under the supervision of master Vokara Che, many medical stations had long been available for usage throughout the space, ready to receive the wounded sentients without having to travel all the way from the battle center to Coruscant. But, of course, such temporary stations were not all-powerful. Some injured Jedi, who required special attention, were still taken to the Temple.

The steady footsteps of a tall, dark-skinned man echoed off the light-coloured walls of the corridor. His rough leather boots, which clattered loudly on the pale pink floor with every step, and his gloomy appearance, enhanced with frowning expression and angrily knitted brows contrasted so vividly with the soft welcoming atmosphere of the surrounding vaulted ceilings and numerous wide windows that at first glance it was clear that here, in the Halls of Healing, he, a man from the front lines, a man of war, felt somewhat uncomfortable.

The right door appeared round the corner, opposite the bronzium statue of an ancient mirialan Jedi, whose dispassionate gaze was turned upwards in silent prayer. The man slowed his pace, bowing slightly to the statue as a sign of respect, and then stepped into the dim hall. A h'nemthe Jedi healer in long, milky robes, was bent over the diagnostic computer display near the only active bacta tank. The healer turned at the sound of the intrusion, intending to send any newcomers away, but when he saw who exactly was standing in front of him, he instead pressed a few buttons on the control panel, finishing his task, and addressed the visitor.

“Greetings, master Windu,” the h’nemthe murmured, whistling thinly on vowels.

Galactic Basic for his race wasn’t the easiest language to pronounce.

"I assume you've come to inquire about my patient's condition?"

“Indeed so, master Pikllim,” he confirmed.

"I'm afraid that I can't give you any good news yet," the healer said, lowering his long beak-like nose. "Master Koth will have to spend at least four more days in the tank until he can be awakened. However, electric burns, cuts, and other physical injuries, no matter how serious they are, are not something that bacta can't handle. On the other hand, master Koth's mental health is still in a much more vulnerable position than his body.”

“What do you mean by that?"

“For how long was master Koth held captive by general Grievous?"

"Three days... or four,” Windu hesitated. “I don’t know the specifics. The loss of communication with General Koth's venator wasn’t detected immediately. And the message with Grievous’s statement reached us only after another day.”

Pikllim clicked his tongue and sympathetically shook his head.

“Well, I suppose that in such critical conditions, master Koth made the only possible decision and pushed all his energy to the maximum limits to stay alive. His Crucitorn... It’s quite a rare and curious Force-ability, master Windu. But like any other, this technique also has its drawbacks.”

“What are you implying, master Pikllim?”

“The complete blocking of physical pain requires considerable inner effort from the user. Which does not pass away without any consequences, especially when this effort has to be maintained for several days in a row. I'm afraid that the abuse of Crucitorn had a destructive impact on the mental condition of master Koth. And the suffered hardships, the negative emotions that he suppressed — all this, as the healing proceeds, will gradually come back. But now that he has no defense, this retaliatory strike will turn out twice as powerful.”

“You mean that…”

“Yes. I mean that if my predictions are confirmed, I will insist on a long-term mental rehabilitation for my patient after his physical wounds are healed. Because after the awakening, his shield-less mind will be too vulnerable to potential external influences. And I intend to do it in the conditions _away_ ,” the h’nemthe emphasized that word. “Away from the battlefields.”

“And how long will it take?" the korun demanded in a faltering voice.

“At least two months. Or maybe four. Or maybe even more. It depends not only on me, but also on master Koth himself. You must understand that, master Windu. My patient's condition is not an easy one, and any premature shock, whether it's receiving unpleasant news, or commanding a military mission, or whatever, may result in him irreversibly. You can tell the High Council so.”

"Master Pikllim, the Council does not doubt your skills as a healer," Windu opposed with unexpected eagerness. “Please give master Koth as much time as you see fit.”

The h’nemthe made another indefinite clicking sound and nodded.

"Is that all you wanted, master? Time is a limited resource these days.”

“Yes, that’s all,” 

However master Windu has not made a single movement towards the exit.

“In fact... master Pikllim, I have a small personal request to you.”

“I’m listening.”

“Can I have a few minutes alone with master Koth?"

Pikllim tilted his head and questioningly looked into the dark brown eyes of the korun.

"You can, master," he said at last. “I trust you. Besides, the last time master Koth said something, the medical droid recorded his words.”

The h’nemthe took a long meaningful pause before finishing his thought.

"He called for you."

***

The translucent pinkish liquid dimly reflected the rays of daylight through the thick glass walls of the tank. It was large — stationary rejuvenation tanks were designed to fit most sentient races, with a few exceptions — and looked impressive, with all the plastoid tubes wrapped around the top of it, and with a row of flashing indicators on the bottom, from which several cables emerged, connecting it to the controlling computer.

The 2-1B surgeon droid, who usually watched after the patients, was currently on recharge and stood motionless to the right of the tank with its photoreceptors turned off. But even if the droid was operational, Windu would still send it away. The Jedi master didn't want to be disturbed. Not now, when he stepped close to the bacta receptacle, watching the unconscious body of the wounded zabrak swaying slightly in the smooth swirls of small pearly bubbles.

"And once again, we're not meeting the way we'd want to," Mace said bitterly. "Hi there, my dear. I missed you.”

The zabrak, of course, didn’t respond — after the exhausted Jedi was brought back from the Saleucami system, he was immediately put into a deep healing trance to speed up the recovery processes. That was two days ago. And during those two days, Mace had barely been able to complete his mission on Uck in peace. His need to return to Coruscant was becoming more and more unbearable with each passing hour after receiving news of the success of the rescue mission of masters Gallia, Mundi, and knight Skywalker — and of master Koth's critical condition.

Attachments were not encouraged by the Jedi Order. He was aware of this, but he also knew that the time when he could have made a different choice was already long gone. He couldn't deny it. The always reserved and independent Master of the Order had been hopelessly, ridiculously, almost foolishly in love with the little zabrak Jedi Consular of the High Council for almost twenty years, and he could no longer imagine his life without him.

“I’m sorry.”

His voice wavered.

"I'm so sorry, Eeth," he repeated in a whisper, feeling his heart sink treacherously from the aching tenderness. “I'm so terribly sorry. I couldn't protect you. Yet again. Again I wasn't around when you needed me the most. I'm worthless…”

Mace froze, staring at his beloved’s small figure. Now, stripped of almost all the clothing, so that the burns and bruises that still hadn't fully healed were clearly visible on his thin creamy skin, with the breathing mask cut roughly into the soft features of his face, and with a cloud of loose dark hair that the constant circulation of the bacta inside the tank was causing to float up, emphasizing even more his unnatural pallor — now Eeth looked especially vulnerable and fragile.

Master Windu just couldn't believe it. Barely more than a year had passed, but his beloved Eeth had already been on the verge of death for three times. First the crash on Geonosis, then the battle of Korriban, and now the torture in the hands of Grievous. Bacta always did its job properly, and there were no signs of old wounds left now, but when Mace gently undressed the zabrak in bed on their rare evenings, under the pristine smooth skin he could still feel the wrong, horrible scars that should have never been there in the first place.

“We are keepers of the peace, not soldiers, Eeth… How did we end like this? I’ve always been confident in my decisions, in what I did, what we all did. I believed that this war was a must if we want to restore peace in the Galaxy. But you almost died again. And honestly, now I am confused. What have we done, sweetheart? What are we doing?”

The korun stretched out his hand to touch the tank’s wall — but as soon as his fingers lay on the slightly warm glass surface, with a great displeasure he felt a familiar presence in the Force. And along with the familiar presence, which he would never have confused with anyone else, other distinct sounds reached his ears: the clacking of small claws and the loud thumping of a cane made of ancient Gimer wood.

Windu immediately pulled back, hiding his hands in the sleeves of his robe, and took a few steps away from the reservoir. The tenderness instantly disappeared from his posture and expression. He straightened up firmly, sternness again flashed in his eyes, leaving room for only a shadow of polite regret, and his whole appearance returned to the way he had entered the Halls of Healing twenty minutes earlier — a general who had spared only a brief moment of his time to pay a purely formal visit to a wounded colleague. The perfect Jedi.

“You've returned from your mission I see, master Windu,” the thumping of the cane grew louder, and the door quietly slid open. “To report on your progress would you like, hmm?”

“Grand master Yoda," the korun said, turning to the green master. “Yes, the conflict on Uck wasn’t as significant as we expected. The uckanians managed to sign a peace treaty among themselves even before my troops finished setting up the field camp.”

“Controlled by the inhabitants of the planet Uck an important hyperspace route is. Necessary if we want to keep the advantage at that point their loyalty to the Republic is," the elderly Jedi grunted as he came closer. "That I'm glad to hear. That our efforts were not in vain also I’m happy to see.”

Yoda nodded towards the bacta tank, where the indicators were flickering steadily.

"Saved master Koth was. Once again, shown his valor the young Skywalker had. Left with nothing Grievous was.”

"So had master Gallia and master Mundi," Mace added. “And I'm sure Eeth will be able to thank them properly when he regains consciousness."

“Surely,” The grand master rubbed his round chin thoughtfully. “You talk to the healer did? Tell you how soon master Koth will be able to join us again, did he?”

"He did, but unfortunately the answer is not so optimistic," the korun replied, shaking his head. “It seems that Eeth will have to stand down from guiding military operations for the next few months.”

"Hmm... Master Koth's inability to fulfill his duties as a General now questions about his seat in the Council raises. To find another jedi to replace him we may have.”

“Are you sure this is necessary, grand master?" Windu stiffened up. “Even if Eeth has to refrain from direct combat for a while, he is still an experienced Jedi master, and his participation in negotiations with various senators and ambassadors has helped us obtain permits to deliver humanitarian aid to the worlds in need more than once! Eeth has earned his place on the High Council, and it's just not fair to deny him one now!”

“A good Consular, he is indeed” Yoda said calmly. “But we need a General. Able to respond to any request for help, calling whatever part of the Galaxy is. In such circumstances, useful a temporary replacement may be.”

Mace wanted to protest, but the grand master stopped him, slamming his cane on the floor, and jerked his head up.

“Many worthy members in the Jedi Order there are," Yoda’s ears twitched. “Important the question is, but not overriding. Thinked about it should be. You reacting so dramatically now why are?”

“I apologise, Grand master,” Windu blinked, realizing that such a sharp response was indeed inappropriate. “It's just that Eeth is not only a fellow member of the Order for me, but also a good friend. You know this yourself. And I am truly sorry for what happened to him.”

The korun’s mental shields that had perfected over the past twenty years hid from Yoda's investigating gaze how along with these words of regret memories of a crimson hologram flashed through Mace’s mind again, on which a soulless MagnaGuard was hitting the zabrak's back again and again with the sparking end of his electric staff. Eeth did his best to survive this cruel torture, to return to the Order, to continue serving the Republic — and they dare say so easily that he no longer has a place on the Council? Oh well, the Order was indeed going to give Eeth a good reward for his suffering. No, Mace was still adamantly against the idea of anything like that. But for the grand master it wasn’t necessary to know how he had painfully felt every singly electric discharge along with the Eeth back then. So he paused, watching as the stream of tiny bubbles escaped from the horned master's breathing mask's filter.

The korun couldn't see Yoda's face, but he could feel him frown.

"That he's your friend I know," the green Jedi finally muttered. “Close you are. Engaged in the Concordance of Fealty you have. You sympathize with him, master Windu, true that is. And we all sympathize with him too. But the most important right now interests of the Republic are.”

"I understand, Grand master," Mace said, bowing his head in agreement, but a sad sigh still escaped from his chest.

The grand master hummed and turned his head to the korun.

“Master Windu, more to say have you?”

"The Force has been.... troubled since we entered this war," Windu replied, clasping his hands together. "I have some doubts. Premonitions.”

“Premonitions… Premonitions, hmm? The Force tell you in them what does?”

"It's like they're warning me," Mace said, his face sullen. "They’re of pain. Suffering. Something that will only continue to grow if we keep fighting.”

Yoda mumbled something under his breath and leaned harder on his cane.

"These visions you have… Foresee the outcome of the war you do?"

"I don't know, grand master. It’s rather more of a speculation, than vision,” Windu corrected himself. “But it's been more than a year, and we're not a step closer to uncovering this mysterious Sith lord master Jinn spoke of. And this fact is disturbing me greatly.”

The korun couldn't help but glance again at Eeth's lifeless body behind the glass walls of the bacta tank.

“How much more will we have to sacrifice, grand master, before we can finally put an end to the Siths’ rule in the Galaxy?"

"Careful you must be when sensing the future," Yoda noted. "Powerful this Sith lord is. Skilled he is. But definitely reveal his identity we will, the will of the Force if it is. Doubt it you do?”

“I have no doubts in the Force, grand master. Only concern for the fate of our Order. My wisdom is not as great as yours or the Council of First Knowledge, so I don’t presume…”

“But you do,” the older Jedi interrupted suddenly. “Revealed your opinion is. And in it, for you your attachment speaks.”

“Excuse me, Grand master?"

“Strong your feelings to master Koth are,” Yoda pointed with his cane to the rejuve tank. “Open to me your emotions are, yes. Hmmm... An attachment to form you allowed, master Windu. I sense much fear for your friend in you.”

Mace took some time before saying anything. His mind raced, analyzing, trying to decide how to react to what he'd just heard. There was a direct demand in the grand master's words, clearly felt in the Force. He didn't ask, he stated it and now waited for a direct answer. But master Yoda seemed to regard his relationship with Eeth solely as a friendship that went over the boundaries of a usual Jedi bond. In a way, this wasn’t as serious as if the elderly master had gotten to the real bottom of the matter. So the korun took a deep, calming breath and lowered his head obediently.

"You're probably right, master. I'll meditate on it.”

"Attachment obscures the clarity of your vision," Yoda insisted. “And the future in only a distorted way allows you to see. Repeat this mistake you must not.”

“Repeat?”

The grand master sighed grimly, and his Gimer cane thumped against the floor in disappointment.

"Become a great Jedi young Obi-Wan could have, huh? Among the best in our Order, been his name would have. But a different path he chose. To master Qui-Gon then he didn't listen. His heart to stand before his mind he let.”

Obi-Wan. Once again, the name of the former Padawan was spoken in these walls, although the incident on Melida/Daan happened so long ago. Mace couldn't help but notice that Yoda did think of Obi-Wan quite often, although there weren't many reasons for it — but for himself the korun decided that perhaps master just didn't very much like Kenobi being married to Chancellor Palpatine. This was a subjective factor, and it was certainly not for him to judge that. But there was something else that he couldn't accept so easily.

“You think Obi-Wan's decision was a mistake?”

“A mistake, right. Qui-Gon could not convey the Force's will to him. He wanted to help his friends instead. Too attached to them he got. Less important to him than the wishes of his friends the words of his master became.”

“But didn't he help his friends to bring back peace to Melida/Daan? Thanks to him, they stopped the pointless bloodshed among the natives, and now Melida/Daan has gone from a problematic, abandoned planet to a fast-growing economy with more than favorable forecasts for the future. Was that part of Obi-Wan's choice a mistake, too?”

“Master Qui-Gon to leave Melida/Daan I told because found a different solution to the conflict we had. More rational and efficient one. But Obi-Wan didn't want to listen to his master's suggestion. Worried about the jedi losses in this war you were, hmm? And suffered before Obi-Wan brought the war to an end how many of the planet's inhabitants had?”

The korun said nothing. After the return of Qui-Gon and the news of Kenobi abandoning the Jedi way, no one found it necessary to send other representatives of the Order to Melida/Daan. Thus all records in the Archive were based only on reports of master Jinn, who couldn’t know about such things for sure.

“Also, the dispute with his Padawan on the planet for too long forced master Qui-Gon to stay. Manage to reach the Temple on time he did not,” Yoda's long ears drooped. "Master Talh became one with the Force before help her we could.”

"Talh's death... because of Obi-Wan?" Mace gasped shortly.

"Connected in the Force everything is. This didn't young Obi-Wan know, but known it if he had opened his mind to the Force he might have.”

Windu clasped his hands tighter, his nails digging into his palms. He still couldn't fully share Yoda's position on Kenobi's decision, but that discontent had now turned not so important.

If what the little green master said was true… Then he _should_ have listened to his words. If the life of his dear Eeth really depended on how well _he_ could remain cold-blooded himself, then he definitely should have thought again about what he was putting first among his priorities.

What if that thought was exactly what the Force had been trying to tell him in such a terrible way all along? That the more he protects his beloved zabrak, the greater the danger that one day they won't make it in time, as it was with master Talh?

"What must I do, grand master?" the korun asked quietly, still shocked by his own conclusion.

Yoda cleared his throat, and the end of the cane unmistakably pointed in the direction of the working bacta tank again.

“Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.”

***

The clattering footsteps finally turned inaudible, and somewhere far away there was a click of a magnetic door lock.

Master Windu waited a few more moments, and only then allowed himself to relax, moving closer to the bacta reservoir again. The floating bubbles still soothingly enveloped Eeth's slim body, as if gently rocking the unconscious zabrak to sleep. Mace hesitated a bit, but still pulled one hand from under his sleeve, pressing his palm against the transparent panel where on the other side of the glass Eeth's closed eyelids trembled faintly.

"Please forgive me, Eeth," he whispered again. “I don't know what the future prepares for us. I'm afraid that I'll let you down again, my love, and that time no healer will be able to fix it. But you know, I talked to master Yoda. And maybe I will find a way to protect you.”

The korun lovingly traced on the glass the outline of Koth's face with his fingertips, and then turned his head away sorrowfully.

“No matter what cost.”

**Author's Note:**

> In this house we don't like Yoda. Like, at all.  
> \---  
> (also big thanks to Dark Earl for beta'ing my texts, ily,,,,)


End file.
